Hamas names new leader as Kuwait says it is under fire from Iran – Middle East crisis live

The Guardian reports that Hamas has named Khalil al-Hayya as its new overall leader, while Kuwait's army says it is confronting missile and drone attacks coming from Iran. The United States has expanded its offensive against Iran, even as diplomats claim talks are continuing. Central Command said its forces struck Iranian military command centers, air defenses, coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks, describing the goal as reducing Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Oil markets reacted in early Asian trade on Monday after the latest wave of strikes and a vessel fire in the strait: Brent crude for September delivery rose two point seven two percent to ninety dollars and fifty cents a barrel, briefly crossing ninety-one dollars, its highest level since June. The strait is the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes, which is why traders watch it so closely.

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